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NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Former Republican state Rep. Jeremy Durham, who earlier this month became the first lawmaker expelled from the Tennessee General Assembly in 36 years, was escorted from a University of Tennessee football game on Saturday after getting into an altercation with a Florida fan.
The Tennessean reports (http://tnne.ws/2cG9nCq ) that Durham was sitting next to Republican state Sen. Brian Kelsey of Germantown at the game. Kelsey said he didn't see the incident but confirmed Durham was asked to leave in the third quarter.
"I didn't witness anything unusual," Kelsey said. "But it was obvious the officer had asked questions of a Florida fan behind us."
David Williams, the son of former Tennessee House Speaker Kent Williams, told the paper he witnessed the altercation from a few rows away.
"I saw Mr. Durham turn around and basically smack the guy in the face and it knocked the sunglasses off his head," Williams said.
A Blount County sheriff's deputy escorted Durham from the stadium. University of Tennessee police say that no report was filed and that they have no record of the incident.
Durham lost to a GOP challenger in the primary election in August after the state attorney general released a report detailing allegations of improper sexual contact with at least 22 women during his four years in office. Durham's colleagues voted to expel him during a special legislative session earlier this month to prevent him from qualifying for a lifetime pension once he hits retirement age.
Before Saturday's game, Durham lodged an anti-gay slur at another fan who referred to the sexual harassment allegations in a Twitter exchange before the game.
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Information from: The Tennessean, http://www.tennessean.com
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